Gourmet’s wine coverage, especially during the long tenure of Gerald Asher, who was considered a distinguished essayist, was seen to be without peer in general-interest magazines.

After its current editor, Ruth Reichl, took over, the emphasis on wine seemed to be reduced.

That coverage continued under the drinks editor James Rodewald, with contributions from Asher.

The axe was expected to fall on several titles after Condé Nast brought in McKinsey & Company, a management consultant firm, to study its costs.

If a food magazine was to die, Bon Appétit, which is perhaps less prestigious than Gourmet, was considered the more likely victim.

Condé Nast is closing several other titles, two of them for brides.

An in-house memo from Condé Nast’s president, Charles Townsend, said, ‘Gourmet magazine will cease monthly publication, but we will remain committed to the brand, retaining Gourmet’s book publishing and television programming, and Gourmet recipes on Epicurious.com.

We will concentrate our publishing activities in the epicurean category on Bon Appétit.’

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